Google is working on a wider Nexus replacement called ‘designed with our friends at Google’

Just when thought that the “Nexus” brand was gone, it turns out that Google is certainly working on what we would term as a progression of the “Nexus” brand.

According to 9to5Google, Google is seeing at a broader partnership with manufacturers and has presently given it a new tag, “Designed with our friends at Google”.

Indeed, the line points closer towards the Nexus line-up of smartphones and bit too far away from the stringent Pixel lineup, which although created by HTC is a Google product through and through.

In short, the “Designed with our supports at Google” tag would sit comfortably between the older Nexus lineup and the new Pixel lineup.

The latest label was first spotted via seeped retail packaging. A watch, called the LG Watch Style has a label “Designed by our friends at Google” which sits right under the product name, suggesting at Google’s plans.

It’s clear from the seeped image that Google wants to be related with this broader lineup of products which was earlier just limited to smartphones (Nexus) but now appears to encompass smartwatches as well.

And with that label at the foot, it is clear to state that Google helped co-develop the product in some source or another. Which is where the LG V20 also comes in? The V20 was the only smartMobile in recent memory that was launched with the new version of Android Nougat out of the box. It was also the only other manufacturer-branded smartphone to be promoted on Google Android Nougat website as well, which kind of made it exceptional for LG.

9to5Google also pointed out how Ivyrevel’s declaration of their joint project with Google’s Awareness API also uses the now familiar “friends” branding with the label reading, “Made with our friends at Google”.

So it’s clear that Google is up to some extent and that it comprehends not just hardware, but software as well.

From a hardware point of view, Google could offer guidance or allow for some customizations in terms of software, which would permit a few manufacturers to launch latest smartphones or smartwatches with the newest software version.

We could also look quicker software updates for these products since they have a tie-up with Google. At a software level, Google could afford features like Assistant integration in these smartphones with some added features. But that’s just small thought.

A broader perspective clues at Google assisting OEMs with new technologies to either speed up development or simply help them develop better products. This would be anything from folding smartphones to smarter AI. But at the end, it’s the customers that also profits with better products and fewer clones.